Guardian Wolf Ch. 07

And finally Terrance had a restraining order filed against his son in Jessica's behalf. If that no good father wouldn't do a damn thing to protect his own daughter, Terrance would do it for him. Of course Terrance blamed himself. He had let all of Troy's achievements blind him to what Troy was becoming. His son was evolving from a smart, talented, and well mannered young man into a devious, selfish, and self serving man with little or no moral backbone. That is not the son he had raised. He would not stand by and watch his son become an immoral, unethical degenerate who expected to have his father's company handed to him on a silver platter. Someone had to give a damn for that girl. But how do you protect another child from her own parents?

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"Jessica? Jessica! Wake up sweetheart. Come on baby, wake up. Come back to us baby. Don't leave me after I just found you. Come on baby, wake up!" Jessica heard a voice that sounded like an angel, masculine yet full of love and concern. She wanted to take hold of that angel and never let him go.

Slowly Jessica opened her eyes to a white room with bright lights. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust but when she could again focus, her gaze fell upon a room full of people worried and concerned for her. I mean, really concerned...for her! In the center holding her shoulders was the most gorgeous man she could ever imagine...Marcus.

He was looking at her with such concern and worry...and...and...love? Her heart leapt at the thought of this emotion. Love? No one loved her; her life was devoid of that emotion. But there it was as clear as day. She had never felt the emotion but she did recognize it. This man loved her! Her heart leapt again and did a somersault; her mind revolted in terror and confusion. She didn't deserve love; this must be another cruel joke. Someone help her to understand what the hell was going on! Nothing made sense to her right now. She wanted to hug and kiss this man and push him away in a single breath. She was so confused with her emotions right now. Was it possible this man could love her?

"What happened?" Jessica asked.

"You blacked out," a voice said behind her.

Jessica turned around to see Rachel still holding young Abigail in her arms. She wanted to fault the child for stirring up such painful memories, but she couldn't find it in her anymore. Just looking at the tiny girl wrapped in bandages ripped her heart in two. Again these children were teaching her; teaching her that despite all of her problems and the shit she had gone through in life, it was nothing compared to what these children have gone through. Her anger and confusion vanished in an instant. How could a child break through all of her barriers? They were children for gods' sake! That thought alone brought even more wonderment to her current emotional state of mind.

"Are you okay?" James asked sitting on the floor in front of them. Jessica and Rachel looked over and both laughed at his predicament. James was sitting on the floor playing with toy trucks with a small boy named Boston, who had an inoperable brain tumor, while two girls braided his hair into pig tails.

"I'm fine. Better than you are doing," Jessica couldn't help but laugh out loud at this revelation.

Marcus turned around and grinned at his cousin. "Dude. You are so pretty!" Marcus snickered as the two little girls giggled and continued to put his cousin's hair in braids.

"Hey cousin, bite me!" James growled. He was trying very hard not to cuss in front of the children.

"I don't bite little girls!" Marcus said. This caused the whole room, including the children to laugh in merriment.

After this amusing distraction, Marcus again turned to look at his mate in concern. What had caused her to drift off like that?

"What were you thinking about when you zoned out like that?" Marcus asked.

"Nothing...nothing. It doesn't concern you and it is nothing but a bad memory now," Jessica said, sidestepping the issue entirely.

Marcus wanted to pursue the issue but a stern glare from Rachel told him to drop it for now. This was supposed to be a happy time and a chance to make Jessica some real friends. Marcus knew she needed to acclimate to being around children. Because when Marcus finally turned her and she came into heat? Oh boy! She would be waddling around with a full belly of children for the next dozen years. He was determined to show his cousins Adam and Douglas how to really breed a female. If there was anything Marcus knew that Jessica absolutely needed, it was people that would love her and to whom she could return love. After Marcus and the Wolfe clan got a hold of her, she would be drowning in love.

And after she had gotten her fill of love, Marcus, Jessica and the rest of them would show those miserable parents of hers what real love was supposed to be like. They would also show them what real pain was like; pain that was beyond human comprehension. Marcus would take every last insult and callous deed against his mate out of their miserable hides. He swore to himself he would see her parent's dead at his feet some day. No one fucks with a werewolf's mate and lives to regret it.

Rachel cleared her voice loudly to get Marcus's attention. Without knowing it, Marcus's grey blue eyes had started to turn amber. He was letting his anger get the best of him. He looked down at Jessica to see a bit of fear and confusion in her eyes. He stooped down and took her hands in his, kissed them gently, and smiled. It wasn't what he really wanted to do, but it was all he could do at this point. The simple gesture of love and friendship seemed to reassure her.

"Enough of the sad talk, this is supposed to be a happy day," Marcus said.

Without invitation he proceeded to wheel Jessica's chair around, letting her talk and play a little with each child. It was amazing to see the ice princess, the queen bitch of Copper Hills High School brought down to size by a bunch of children. But it was exactly what Jessica needed right now. These children were not a threat to her or her status in high school. None of these children could even comprehend the idea of popularity, let alone the fucked up caste system that is high school politics. They only saw the person before them, not her perceived status in society. Jessica was only a nice girl who hit her head and was visiting them today. She was a nice lady and they liked her a lot.

Jessica had to admit that she was having a fantastic time playing and talking with the children. It was like she was experiencing childhood for the first time. A childhood that all children should have; not the sheltered, artificial aristocracy she was subjected to. Despite their injuries, their sickness, and their pain, the children were happy just to have visitors to play with and talk to. These children were happy with nothing. These children didn't have the army of servants that bowed to their every childish whim; they did not have the selection of custom made and exotic toys; they did not have hateful parents to tell them they were too good for common children. For the next hour she was free to act the way she had always dreamed of; she was free to be a child again. Unknown to Jessica at the time, this was the beginning of the healing process; a healing process that would eventually fill that hole in her heart with love.

Finally it was time to leave the children for the afternoon. Many had treatments in the afternoon and were soon whisked away by the various nurses and specialists assigned to them. She was able to only speak briefly with Abigail and enjoyed her bright emerald eyes as she talked and laughed with the burnt child. A burn specialist came to collect the tiny child to continue her recovery treatments. Abigail went willingly holding out her tiny, burned hands to the young woman. Everyone said their goodbyes as Abigail waved a bandaged hand back at them. Somehow, deep down she knew her father was responsible for this girl being in the hospital; he was responsible for her being burned and wrapped in bandages. This unknown knowledge made her hate her father all the more; she wanted to see her father pay in the same manner. She wanted to see his miserable corpse burn in Hell for all eternity. She wished this on both her parents with every fiber of her being; she allowed this hate to harden and crystallize in her stomach. Somehow, some day, Augustus and Anna Hamilton would pay for all the misery they had wrought on her and the rest of the world. She would find a way to make them pay.

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James and Rachel said their goodbyes to Marcus and Jessica back on the second floor. Marcus had possessively commandeered responsibilities for Jessica and refused to leave her side. None were more surprised than Jessica when Rachel and James hugged her goodbye, wishing her a speedy recovery. Two people she thought she hated just hours before were becoming two genuine friends in her life. The simple act of friendship and comfort brought tears to her eyes; she was unable to return sentiments and simply acknowledged their tithing's with a nod. Finally she wished them goodbye and good luck. The fact of marriage never crossed the realm into the world of speaking, but it was understood between both parties. Jessica knew that they were indeed married. She didn't know how or why but she did not care anymore. What they did was their own business. It was another first for Jessica Hamilton: she accepted others without knowledge or malice and respected their privacy. Rachel and James were now friends; they were really her friends. That is all that mattered to Jessica at the moment. It may change tomorrow, but for the moment it was sufficient. This was turning out to be the best day of her life.

As James and Rachel departed with a fresh round of goodbyes, Camille chose that moment to intrude, wishing to offer her own goodbyes to the newly mated couple. Shortly after uttering her fond farewells, Cami found herself enveloped in a bone crushing hug. Jessica had leapt from her chair, ignoring Marcus's comments entirely and latched on to the first person to ever show her love and kindness. This woman had burned through every emotional barrier Jessica had erected and fought to find that spark inside Jessica that held her humanity. Camille had breathed upon this tiny ember, causing a small spark and a flame to start growing. And how had Jessica repaid this kindness, with accusation and ridicule. Jessica needed to make amends for her earlier comments and begin a new relationship with this remarkable nurse. It was another first for Jessica Hamilton: she felt remorse and apologized for her own actions. It was turning out to be a day of many firsts for Jessica.

"I'm so sorry for what I said to you earlier. You didn't deserve it," Jessica said. Remorse and a heartfelt apology: both a first.

"Thank you!" Jessica continued. Gratitude: another first.

"You're welcome baby. Nothing brings new perspective to a person like children. They are the universal equalizer. King and peasant are treated the same in the eyes of an innocent child. You just needed to be reminded that not everyone will judge you for who you are or where you come from," Camille said as she returned Jessica's hug with relish.

Despite Jessica basking in Camille's embrace, she could put it off no longer. The thought had been nagging at her conscience ever since she laid eyes on young Abby. She had to know what happened. If only for her own peace of mind, she had to know if her father was as ruthless as she suspected.

"Camille? How was Abigail Michelson burned?" Jessica asked. She was not looking forward to the answer.

"It happened about six weeks ago. The Michelson house caught on fire. Young Abby was home with her nanny because she was sick with the flu. The rest of the family had gone out to get something to eat. They returned about forty-five minutes later to a house ablaze. Terrance and Vivian were frantic, knowing that Abby was inside. When the firemen were able to get inside, they found Abigail near the entrance in the arms of her nanny. The tiny girl was unconscious and her face, hands, and legs were burned where the nanny's body left her exposed. But the nanny saved her life. The nanny died when a support beam fell on her as she ran towards the front door to escape the fire; it broke her neck. The body was burned very badly, but the firemen believe the beam killed her instantly. Her body protected Abby from the worst of the fire," Camille said with a quiver in her voice.

"Does the fire department know how the fire started?" Jessica asked. Part of her already knew the answer.

"They say it was arson. They believe whoever started the fire thought the place was empty because there were no lights on in the house and the family car was not there," Camille said.

Camille watched as Jessica's face paled and then turned red with rage.

"Son of a bitch! How could he?" Jessica screamed.

Both Camille and Marcus thought Jessica was having another episode when she exploded but soon calmed down when Jessica sat back down in the wheelchair, shaking her head repeatedly. If Jessica could work her will at that moment, her father would be consumed in a fiery Hell for the rest of his miserable eternity.

"Who could do what dear?" Camille asked with concern.

"My father...my father started that fire!" Jessica said with finality, starting to blubber and shed tears. To say that Marcus and Camille were shocked was the understatement of the century.

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